The ZeiMieshi
by Edmur Walsh
Summary: 'Walk in the darkness so others see the light.' Heer, a 15-year-old boy uncovers the dirt which made up the ground below him, falling into the darkness. All he sees breaks and so everything just ... follows. Can he put an end to the suffering by defying time itself, by acquiring the ultimate power of the eyes - The ZeiMieshi? 'It's scary what a smile can hide.'
1. Prologue

'I prefer the darkness than the light' It was a quote that had influenced me ever since I was a child ... However not in the right way I guess.

Being a loner and socially awkward isn't a good thing, at least not nowadays.

I was on my desk, having lunch in my classroom while so many children went out to hang around however my story was pretty different.

It pretty much went like this -

My name is Heer, my age is 15 and I'm an Indian student who currently studies in Ebismis High, Delhi ... And that all is so far which is normal about me(except my name's gender, I'm a boy, not a tomgirl, don't judge me...).

I'm somewhat of an unlucky pervert (That is what they label me as), I'm a big time loner and a social outcast with only a few acquaintances and my most probable future career would be a NEET(Not the doctor one...).

I ate my lunch quietly on my bench as I waited for the bloody break to end.

Suddenly Jatin appeared out of nowhere and leant on my desk, his tie resting on the food of my lunchbox.

He looked as suspicious as ever, with a grin on his face."Heer, Don't you ever talk to people?",

I sighed, His moves won't work no matter how much he tries."I've said countless times that I'm not interested in joining your club.",

He didn't seem so surprised."C'mon, You might become famous once again if you hang around a handsome and popular man like me!",

I wasn't so sure about his statement and I wish he wasn't as well."You are mediocre, Ask any person and they'll tell you that you dream too much.",

He walked back and slammed his right hand against the midst of his chest as if a spear pierced his chest."How could you say such things to a king like me.",

I was surely disgusted by his narcissism, I rested my head in hands."Then why don't you go and screw another king and not me?",

Now Jatin seemed seriously humiliated, His grin turned into a scorn as he tried to stop himself from crying."How could you say that ... You little hopeless Lowlife!",

He got on my nerves and I folded my right hand into a fist as I got up from my bench."You wanna take it outside, huh?"

He got scared by my threat and calmed down."I'll see you next time." And he stormed off from the class and so, I continued eating my lunch.

Ever since I beat the bullies from Higgsworth, The other school nearby, Every student has been trying to keep their distance from me and I must say that ... I'm enjoying it to the core!

Once again, some random hand landed on my desk, however, no tie feeding on my lunch...

I looked up and saw Harshit, another member of Jatin's club."Hey, bro! we need members and you will really be perfect for our club."

I stared at his hand and ignored his comment and continued eating my tasty lunch made by my benevolent mother.

My lack of interest came to his notice as he stopped leaning on my desk."Well, join at least for the sake of our friend, Samanya."

Samanya? How was he even aware of that name? Thousands of questions started to flood my brain.

Two years ago, A good friend of mine - Samanya, had committed suicide in our school for some reason. However, no one from the school even remembered the fact that she had existed and studied in our school, let alone know that there was a suicide over here.

I looked at Harshit's face."How the hell do you remember her when you just transferred this year?"

He laughed and once again, started leaning against my wobbly desk. His weight would definitely break it."Join us and see for yourself."

His offer finally started to interest me ... after four months."Alright but..."

"But what?"

I blinked and stared directly into his eyes, unsettling him a bit."Say you love me and then kiss me."

Harshit kept on stepping back till he stumbled upon a desk behind him, he totally fell for my revenge for the pain they gave for four months straight."What the heck?"

I started to laugh, He really fell and ... so bad."Just kidding."

I sighed."But you better surprise me."

He stopped and looked at me, I guess he didn't hear me."What?"

"Nothing."

"Trrr Trrr Trrr..." The bell had rung.

My lunch wasn't finished and due to these club recruiters, I'm gonna starve in the next periods...

I folded my wrists and got up angrily."When the heck would you people stop bugging me! Just bugger off."

The children who started to come inside ... noticed me along with my words and I knew I was in trouble.

Harshit kept on staring foolishly at me, He had a class to go back to ... And he forgot to."Why are you so angry all of a sudden?"

Our class teacher - Mrs Rina, had entered the room ... And now I was in trouble...

I sat once again on my bench and covered my face with my hands and it didn't much long for Harshit to notice that something was wrong.

"Harshit, don't you have a class to rush to?"Harshit paused for a while and his face became covered with sweat.

He slowly started to turn around, like if the devil stood behind him ... and that was nearly correct."Yes, mam! I'll gladly run away."

Mrs Rina was one of the seven mysteries of our school, or more like the known mystery. She's had many rumours about her and mostly very, very scary ones and I guess it might be true as she is known to be the scariest teacher in our school.

She folded her arms and stood in front of us."Come to me after school."

And that was the end of our conversation.

The school was over but ... My hearing was going to begin, I walked to the staff room and I knew that I was really, really in trouble ... After all, I abused in class when Mrs Rina was there.

I reached the staffroom. I was in front of the door and 'every dog has his days', I opened it and walked the plank ... But there was no one inside, it was completely empty...

Am I being framed? Is Rina really going to do something to me now that nobody is around? I felt goosebumps running all over my body, I walked to where Rina's desk was."Hello! Is anyone here? Rina mam are you here?"

"Hey Heer, Long time no see."

The voice seemed so familiar as if I had longed to hear for years, I turned around and I just ... couldn't believe my eyes."Sa ... Samanya!"

She stood there, In our school uniform, She definitely had grown since two years and ... there was a gun in her hands. A very suspicious smile on her face which really made me panic."Heer, Would please ... die for me?"

I started to walk backwards till I hit Rina's desk. Is this the end for me? Such a questionable and laughable ending! She lifted her right hand which held the pistol and aimed it towards me."What is Happening?"

She pulled its barrel and now, she was definitely ready to fire. I couldn't even gather my courage to move a single muscle."You'll find out but ... for now, Good Luck."

What was she talking about! But now it's too late, She had ... already squeezed the trigger...


	2. Chapter 1

I stood in an empty room, it seemed to be like my classroom ... just many hundred years old, with cracks and broken windows along with rotten desks. "Hello, May I know where I am?"

No reply, Cracks spanned across the worn out walls of the classrooms, plants growing from the broken tiles and half of the blackboard missing. Guess no one's here.

I walked to where the door was meant to be, however, no matter how many times I turned the knob, the door just won't budge.

I went to the broken windows, which trees intruded, breaking the roof and growing beyond, the trunk was big enough to support me.

'Would you bend?' I wasn't sure of what I was thinking but if Samanya and the visions before were a dream then ... This is one as well.

The window was big enough so that I could step outside, just that there was nothing to step on ... I was probably on the third floor.

I extended my right foot outside, resting on the trunk ... which started to bend amazingly, I lifted my left foot from the class and the tree properly bent in accordance to me and so I started to walk on it.

The sky was different as well, with no sun in sight but plenty of planets along with moons, acting as reflectors for any light, but it was mostly red light as sky was painted red all over with stars in sight from the east while the others celestial bodies lied in the west, It felt pretty creepy as if I just the entered the world of a science fiction and horror movie...

I reached the ground and looked around, it was as if I was witnessing the mirror image of the area of my school, just a lot more ... uglier.

The ground wasn't brown but rather black with red patches on it ... as if this world just saw a nuclear apocalypse with blood sprayed all over its barren ground ... My typical setting for a horror movie."Hey, Kid, You're the Special eye right?"

I was surprised from hearing a voice from behind me, I turned around ... hoping to not be shot by someone from my dreams again.

A few metres away, Stood an old man, his back bent and a wooden walking stick in his hands which supported his thin and old figure, A very long beard, nearly touching the ground, sprouted from his face, he even had long hair which touched the stained dirt of the ground, He had unusual hair colour with black and red strands among his grey hair ... He smiled menacingly as his hands ran through his grey beard, He creeped the heck out of me."Who are you and ... Where the hell am I?"

He smirked and lifted his wooden cane and stomped it against the ground and suddenly ... the red sky started to move rapidly, I looked down and noticed that I no longer stood on ground but rather there was an entire ocean beneath me ... an ocean of blood."What the hell!"

I got pretty scared and fell on the surface of the ocean as it engulfed me inside and I went deeper and deeper in it as I struggled to swim, drowning in fear slowly.

I caught a glimpse of the old man as he smiled at my horrified face, as I slowly met my demise, The same nightmare which came before, earlier Samanya and now this wierdo. "Why this again?" I whispered as I closed my eyes, wishing for me to wake up.

I kept on sinking lower and lower as my conscience started to fade but suddenly ... all the pressure of the blood went away, I felt as if I stood on solid ground.

I opened my eyes and noticed her, she came back to haunt me again, samanya stood in front of me ... The scene looked very familiar, as if it was a part of one of my pretty important memories.

She stood against the railing, It was the time of dawn, We were obviously on the roof and were chatting but something didn't seem right, She was smiling but there were tears rolling down her cheeks, her eyes were filled with regret and sorrow even if she smiled...

She looked younger than before, exactly like the day when she died, when she was just 13 ... Wait! I know where I am, This is the day, the day she died!

Memories, terrifying ones, started to flood my brain as I struggled to stand."Sorry Heer."

I looked towards her, afraid she was going jump ... Even if it was just a nightmare, somehow this memory always scared me.

She was now sitting on the railing, I had a bad feeling and I unconsciously started to run towards her, wanting to save her."Thank you ... I'll remember you."

She leaned backwards and slipped into the void as I crashed against the railing but ... I was too late.

She lay on the ground, her body covered with blood as she breathed her last while here I was ... I felt anger and loss engulf me even if it was just a painful memory.

I couldn't hold my weight anymore, my legs collapsed on the ground as my hands held onto the railing. I kept on crying and screaming, remembering how I lost her, the one special to me...

"Remember."

A voice came but I ignored, the pain was all that held me and blinded me and made me deaf.

"Remember and you shall awaken."

The voice was similar to the old man's, he was probably standing behind me but I ignored.

"It'll be such a waste if you die before your eyes awaken."

I couldn't get a word he spoke.

"Remember, Wake up from this nightmare, you broken vessel!"

"Remember what?" I shouted, unable to understand what he meant.

I remembered, she fell in something ... My, My memories were fake. I couldn't understand anything!

I stopped crying and opened my eyes as they smarted from the stress, Her body ... wasn't on the ground...

Somehow, his words began to make sense but How could Samanya kill me if she was dead but ... what if she wasn't?

"Remember that she never died, that your memory is fake and you are the one who is dead!"

I couldn't understand anything but suddenly my eyes started to hurt much, much more."Now go and change the world ... Defy this broken system and bring me justice."

I gathered my courage and ran towards him to hit him but he dodged it and hit my back with his cane and so, I fell.

I got up and looked at the old man."Who the heck, are you?!"

"Devil."

He smiled once again."Your Demise, Remember you broken vessel, Remember the name..."

A symbol appeared me, the exact symbol in which Samanya fell...

It opened up and surrounded me, engulfing me in darkness ... suddenly I started screaming as I closed my eyes.

I opened my eyes and looked around, noticing that I was in my room, covered in my bedsheets as I was in my bed, There was no light coming from the window meaning it was night so ... It was all just a bad dream.

I went back to sleep...

I was in my class, the school was over and the dream from last night was just a dream."Hey, Heer, Heard you joined us, I'll lead you to the room."

I looked upwards and noticed Jatin, that goddamn guy was back but ... I guess I had agreed yesterday even though I didn't remember doing it."Okay, lead me, you narcissistic disordered person."

He seemed angry with my joke but he let it pass, we got outside and he led me to the door but after reaching and before he could open the door, he stepped aside."Newbies get to go first."

I smiled and held the handle and pulled, opening it.

In front of me, stood a girl, the way her hair went into her scarf seemed very familiar.

Suddenly my legs and hands started to shake, from fear, my eyes started to tremble, from recognition."Samanya?!"

She turned around ... It was Samanya...

She looked the same from the time when she shot me, just a gun missing ... They were no dreams.

She smiled at me."Welcome back to the world of the living!"


	3. Chapter 2

"Why has this all been happening?"

I stared at her as I sat next to the opened window of my new club, warm breeze coming inside, she looked at me, her red scarf dancing with the breeze."Do you remember?"

I looked away as I couldn't figure out what she meant, Life was pretty hard for me since two years and now it seems to be fucked extravagantly."What should I remember?"

She smiled, for no reason at all, once again"Do you remember why you are here?"

I looked at her with blank eyes."He told me to come as I had joined so I came."

Her smile turned into a smirk as if I just made fun of myself ... and I didn't."But wasn't it all a dream?"

Her words somehow rung a drowsy bell in my ears, I had thought it all to be some nightmare, so why did I come...

"Have you ever heard of the power of the eyes?"

I had read a few articles of hoaxes with such names however they were hoaxes, right?"Maybe..."

She laughed."Never sure are you?"

I looked back at her with anger, her words unsettled me."Do I need to be?"

She sighed and pulled a chair from behind her."How will you survive like this?"

I stood up from the chair."Just get to the point."

She held her scarf's suspended ends and wrapped them around my neck like a lasso and pulled me closer towards her, I blushed as I was pretty close to her face, I remembered it all, her skin colour, her smile, her nose, her ey ... wait, her eyes were red with some shapes on them."See them?"

"Why are they red?"

"Power of the eyes."

She removed her scarf from my neck and so, I sat down."Do you have one?"

"Everyone here has one."

"Even me?"

She rested her face in her arms which were, in turn, rested on her lap."You just used it yesterday.

I looked at her in surprise."I was really dead."

"How could you not be?"

I freaked out, I'm dead?!"Am I dead now, where am I?"

She started laughing as if she could just die from it and not from jumping off a roof...

"Nah, you are alive, You revived yourself."

Harshit stepped forward and put his hands in his hands in his pockets."I have the eyes of Manipulation."

I looked at him with a scorn."What?"

He smirked and blinked ... His eyes also changed colours to red.

Jatin and the girl who stood behind Samanya, suddenly disappeared, his face started to tear away, revealing a mask behind, coloured black with three white stripes spanning across it.

I looked at Samanya with alarmed eyes."What is going on?"

She, however, wasn't in her chair...

Harshit placed his hand on his mask and took it off, revealing Samanya's face behind it, however, her eyes were not red this time.

"The Manipulating Eyes can deceive your senses anytime, anywhere and even manipulate you for some time."A voice came from behind me, I looked at my back and noticed Samanya falling from the window, with a suspicious smile on her face."

I covered my eyes from fear as my trauma started to strike me again."Stop this show of yours"

I felt a pat on my shoulder as I trembled."I guess we took it way too much far."

I looked up and noticed Samanya smiling at me."Sorry."

It had been two days since the last incident, however, I came to realise that Jatin and that girl never existed but rather figures created by Harshit to make sure the club could not get noticed for having too many members and that Samanya had hidden her identity since two years.

I was in class like always, the same boredom, the same idiots sitting around, the same discord created by the screeching of the chalk, pens and pencils, Mrs Rina was writing on the blackboard probably about the war of Iraq and America, but not like I have to care, I anyways don't have problems with my grades after all ... I'm the topper.

Mrs Rina turned around and threw her chalk on my head, and, I didn't know why?"Heer, don't be lost in your world all the time!"

She walked to me as I stood up, wondering what she wanted from me, and, why am I the sacrificial goat every time."Mam, I've written the answers in my copy already."

She looked at me with demanding eyes, I bent and took my politics copy out of my bag and showed it to her, I have a lot of time at home, and so I have all the time to do whatever I need to, to buy time for doing things I need to...

She read my copy and looked at me, her eyes were not normal, however, they were red, with some symbol on the iris."Pay attention to the class and don't act too smart."

She walked away and I sat on my desk, wondering about her eyes and what just happened.

I was walking to my clubroom, wishing to ask Samanya about Mrs Rina's eyes, I reached the door and opened it, noticing Samanya sitting inside, weaving a red coloured scarf."Hey, do you know Mrs Rina?"

She looked at me as if I was correct and I guess, according to the seven mysteries of our school, I was."Do you know her?"

"Yeah and guess what? She has those red eyes!"

She got up from her chair and looked at me with concern."Is she a new teacher?"

It was now my time to laugh at her."She has been teaching us for three years and even you have studied under her, your memory is the one weak!"

She walked to the cupboard of our clubroom and opened it, taking out a photograph and a cellphone,

She threw the photograph towards me which I caught and she threw the cellphone towards me ... which I missed."See the photograph."

Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder and noticed Harshit at my right" And please pick up the poor cell phone."

I gazed at the photograph, noticing a number of people as if they were walking on a street and spotted Mrs Rina's face on it."Why do you have her photograph?"

She looked at me with sorrow."I guess it is time to tell you but the government has prices on the heads of anyone who has the power of the Eyes."

I felt shocked, but, it was impossible that the government would want to do such a thing."Why would they do that?"

"To develop their own power, to become a major power or must I say ... To become the superpower in this world."

I guess I could understand that, which country wouldn't sacrifice a few to rule billions."So it's like killing agents of another country and steal their secrets, huh?"

She sat and laughed."Yeah, that's what happens."

"So what about Rina, how does she and the government connect?"

"She is here to kill us."

It's been a lot of time since I've been watching him, how he disguised himself in the crowd to hide his grief, how he smiles in front of her and deceives everyone around him, I don't get it, why was he the chosen one, how did two powers exist in one broken vessel, what are his desires and what does he fear?

But then again, he will never succeed like all those who activated it, after all, an eye is all it takes...

I saw him run to his house and how it caught fire, and it interests me to see these broken vessels suffer and die, after all, it's my job to make sure nothing interferes with my job, and so I continue to look from nowhere into everywhere.

And it might pain to see your parents executed right in front of you.


	4. Chapter 3

I was in class, shit scared, our class teacher is hired by the government to kill people, like me.

Samanya had said that she probably worked for the government so that she could be excused from the motions of the government, although the guy in charge of the mission to use us, is very sly, and that's what Samanya said...

"Trr Trr Trr Trr..." I could hear the bell ringing and some steps coming nearer to our class, and this was the first time that I was so much aware of my surroundings,

Rina entered the room and so, the class stood up, for respect, although I wish I didn't have to show respect to my 'Hunter'."Good morning, Ma'am", the entire class greeted.

She conveyed her greetings as well and sat on her chair, something out of place as she would normally teach the class and there was a lot of syllabus to cover, she looked at me with blank eyes."Heer, can you come here with your homework?"

I kind of freaked out and got up and trotted to her like some ten years old."Yes, Ma'am."

She looked at me with disgust."Your copy."

I looked at my hands and noticed that I had no copy, I turned around, noticing red eyes...

They were the same as last time, however, redder and scarier than before,

I turned around, however, suddenly fatigue hit me and so I fell on the floor, with my vision darkening slowly and everything fading to black in front of me, I could hear the sound of steps rushing towards me, however, even they vanished.

He stood there, looking at them, burn to death, his eyes weakened as they broke into tears and begged for it all to stop, but, he doesn't realise that this all is a lie, a lie forged for me, for me and Sozo to feed on vessels, A lie made by me to trap those eyes which have haunted me for so long.

He cried as the fire came near him, As it came near to feed on his grief, on his hate, on his despair and so the monster cried as he was engulfed in the fire, with his hopes, his happiness and his innocence scorched out of him.

His life faded and so, He shall be reborn, just to fail once again, but he shall be judged when his time comes. "Burn those who cross you, broken vessel.", I said as his body vanished into the void, yeah, I'll judge him when his time comes.

I woke up on a bed, probably in the M.I. Room of my school, with my hands strapped to the railings of the bed. "So you're awake?"

Rina entered from the entrance to the right, I looked at her in fear, Was she going to finally kill me. "Nope, you aren't dying yet."

She read me, I looked at her in doubt, why not kill me now. "Do you want the police to be after me and the government to stop my funding, I'm an assassin, I'm paid to not be found."

"Then what are you up to? Why am I tied like this?"

She smiled and turned around, her head tilting and looking at me."Do you love your parents?"

I felt goosebumps gush through my entire body as she spoke."What do you mean?" I shouted as she left the room, leaving me scared and bonded.

I kept on trying to move around, struggling to break the straps, shouting again and again for help, however, no one came.

One minute passed... an hour passed... hours passed... and I lost track of time as I tried to break the straps, Where was everyone, what was the time? For how long was I tied here?!

Suddenly a voice came in my head, 'Death' I knew how to escape, I had to kill me! There was a medkit, with a knife on it, on the table just next to me, I pushed my body to my side, the bed lost balance and toppled, making the table fall as well, the knife fell on the ground, just in front of my mouth, I brought my mouth closer to the ground and grabbed the knife with my teeth, I swung my head and threw the knife towards my right hand, which luckily caught it, according to theory, I have to fool my eyes into believing that I'm about to die and so I'll go to that place and from there, come back to my house and save everyone, I closed my eyes and pushed my hand, which held the knife, towards my abdomen, till absolute silence hit my ears...

I opened my eyes, noticing the old man standing in front of me, with the same wooden antique cane in his hands, his grey beard touching the blackened dirt of the barren land, his bent posture and suspicious smile. "I need to go back."

His suspicious smile turned into a disgusted scorn."So early! I wanted to play with you..."

His words alarmed me and I got the feels that the old man was a die hard sadist...

I turned around and closed my eyes, thinking of my house, thinking of the time when I died, thinking of my bedroom, the kitchen, the living room, the hall, the staircase and where I need to be, I looked at the old man, noticing him smiling menacingly, as I began to close my eyes. "Say Hi to Luku."

Darkness once again engulfed me as I felt the temperature around me rise indefinitely, and something metallic in my right hand.

I opened my eyes and felt a surge of panic engulf my senses as I noticed that everything around me was on fire and I stood on the staircase of my house which was made up of wood which could fall anytime soon...

I tried to contain my fear and ran downstairs, as fast as I could, toppling over the steps and falling on the floor, I tried to get up but failed but then...

I saw some figures appear before me, two of which were tied and knelt on the floor and one which stood, looking straight towards me.

It didn't take me long to realise that it was Rina who stood with my parents kneeling. "Mum, Dad?! What have you done?!", I shouted at her in a fit of rage as I tightened my grip on the knife as I planned to strike at her.

She laughed menacingly."Oh, you came? Well, I don't care how but you just made my work a lot more easier."

I didn't get what she meant but surely, she meant danger to me and my family, I put up all my effort and got up on my knees and ran towards her, in order to pierce her, but, A surge of pain entered my right hand and I fell, unable to bear the pain I felt in my hand, my hand's grip loosened and so the knife fell on the ground and was engulfed by the flames which neared towards me and my family. "Enjoy the show, It's rare to see such bright colours dance and wave around you, for they shall teach you what destiny is."

She pushed my father away and he fell into the flames, which devoured him as he screamed and struggled to get up and run and I witnessed in horror and despair, 'I failed' 'I failed' 'I failed' were the words which rang in my ear as I saw him die...

"Why... Why?! Why are you doing this... What have we done, Why them, Why me, Why?!" I shouted as I burst into tears.

"Ever heard of the Zeimieshi?"

"What's that?!"

"The power to defy time, that's why the government is going crazy for you people, that's what I want and that's why you have to die."

She looked at me with eyes full of hatred and maddened Red. "If I'm to obtain that power, you will be the only obstacle in my path to becoming a god for the Defying Eyes can defy all the eyes in the world and so, you have to die, no matter what."

She became silent and started to laugh which I witnessed in horror, not my mother... not my mother... not her! I got up and tried to run towards her but... I failed, I felt more pain strike my body and so, I once again fell flat on the floor, sobbing due to the guilt of my powers, had I never had these eyes... I would have got to live with them. "Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, Sorry Mom, I'm sorry..." I said and faced away, afraid to see her die, however, the sound never died as I heard her being dragged away and the fire engulf her as she screamed.

The screams soon died out and all I could hear was the sound of burning till I heard steps approach near me."The perfect scene, the perfect plot, the perfect day, your day just made my day better, bye, for I leave you to die, in the guilt of your fate..."

I ignored and continued to cry, realising my fate, soon, the house started to break and started to get razed to the ground, as parts of the roof fell near me, the staircase broke down and I realised my certain and unfortunate death...

I opened my eyes and wiped my tears, noticing the old man standing in front of me, looking at me, with the same suspicious smirk as always. "So, What are your plans? What will you do?"

I looked at him, I could feel pure rage engulf my head and my heart stained by hatred and loss and my eyes coloured by Maddened Red.

"I'll kill her the way she killed me."

"And I'll be the one to obtain The ZeiMieshi!"


	5. Chapter 4

I looked outside the window of my bus, hoping to catch a glimpse of him again.

It's been so much time since I've seen him, all that news about the fire... where was he gone?

The sun shined very brightly before it disappeared into the silhouette of the building, its light disappearing from the city as I watched it from the window of my bus as I travelled to the outskirts of Delhi for nearly no reason at all, probably just to visit the malls and enjoy stuff which old people find weird and annoying...

The sun and its rays reminded of Heer when he was young, before it all had to happen, before fate intervened and made me realise our destiny.

Two days ago, about near evening, news of a huge house fire came out from Heer's locality and soon I got to know of his parents' untimely death and his disappearance, the interrogation of Harshit done by the police regarding him and how they thought of him of being a potential murderer, he had passed out in class earlier the previous day and how he had been missing for a day as his parents tried to find him and soon how everything took a turn a turn for the worst, then the sunset and all went dark...

I still remember the questions I asked him back when I jumped, 'Would you walk in the darkness so that others see the light?', my answer was always yes but, I still wonder what his answer was?

I leaned against the cushion of my chair, looking at the darkness across the window, remembering that I wasn't in any bus although, it felt like one just like always, after all, I was in the underground metro...

The metro was empty like always, it had been so many years since the mass depopulation which seems so popular in texts of our history textbooks.

Too bad, I never got to witness it since I was never born twenty-one years ago.

It was then that the world probably started to acknowledge the power of the eyes and it soon marked the determination of the fates of broken vessels like us.

I looked at the nearby empty chairs and their blue texture which seemed to make me feel very calm and cool, or maybe just the awesome air conditioning? I kept on pondering over weird things and felt my conscience fade into slumber.

I sat on the bench of the park near my house, now reduced to ashes, a hammock swinging like a lifeless pendulum tied to a dead tree in front of me, blocking my view of the site where my house was supposed to be, everything in this world seemed to be like how they were truly supposed to be.

"Been having bad days, huh?" The old man asked me from behind.

I started to laugh silently. It's so ironic, all it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy and that's probably where I am...

I got up and turned, "Crazy is the word I'll prefer."

He smirked and stomped his cane against the barren ground of the park turning it into the same old ocean of blood, "Don't bring up the word which defines you."

His joke was kinda funny and so I giggled in reply, "So what is your story?"

He seemed a bit disturbed by my question, he turned around and looked towards the red sky with the humongous sun glowing in it, "Sometimes it's not the people who change..."

I looked at him with a confused look, he noticed it, "...At times, it's the mask which falls off."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a long story, not worth wasting our time on it, past's the past."

"I've got all the time in the world."

He laughed at my statement, "Sure, till you grow old like me."

"Samanya."

I was drowning in a void, everything around me painted in black and filled with oblivion and ignorance.

"Samanya."

There was some noise coming from nearby, someone calling me.

"Samanya."

Was it Heer? Is he back? I tried to move around but couldn't, slowly sinking into the unknown.

Something was coming from behind, slowly the darkness started, the waters started to change their colour to white.'

What's happening?! Where am I?! Suddenly I felt something grab me from behind and pull me out of the waters.

"Samanya!"

I opened my eyes which were filled with trauma and fear, 'It's all been a dream' I quietly told myself and looked to my left, noticing a humongous man sitting next to me. "Finally, Miss Sleepyhead wakes up."

"Who are you?"

He looked towards me, his eyes greyish in colour as if all the life he had was scorched out from them. "Nobody."

I didn't get him, I observed the giant carefully, brown-skinned, well-dressed gentleman, or so he seemed, dressed in a suit, tie and formal shoes, however, his untrimmed beard along with that shady, scorched and hardened face made me doubt him.

It was also unusual that he was knowledgeable of my identity, I'm sure Harshit erased my identity and ordinary people couldn't learn it all that easily, he wasn't ordinary and surely his looks didn't suggest it. "Nobody?"

His hand went into his coat, I moved away from him in alarm. "Don't worry."

He pulled out a photograph and threw it towards me, I caught it and realized what he meant. "What do you guys want?"

"Our leader has come across a more nonviolent measure for you, vessels."

I didn't get what he meant, now what had the government come up with?

"What measure?"

"Eye donation."

I got up and stood on my chair and hopped to set of chairs behind, injuring my knee a bit, 'Why didn't I sense this minutes ago?!' I ran to the aisle and turned around, facing the giant who might have been as tall as The Khali, somebody who could have been the ideal executioners of the missions of the government, although such guys didn't do that well against us. "What makes you think that I'll agree to such a foolish deal."

"We didn't need you to."

I got surprised by his reply, my face surely displaying nervousness. "What do you mean?"

His face showed an evil grin. "One way or another, you were going to come and give those eyes, either by force or independent wish, he predicted it all, from Heer to Rina, from the fire, if you want more sad stories, your choice, with us or without us, you're dead anyway."

"You think saying the same stupid dialogue to me every time is going to change mind and your brilliant astrologer has failed three times by now, tell the lame dude to calm it, he officially sucks."

He looked at me in anger, he once again put his hand in his coat, I alarmed my senses to prepare. "Your tricks have started to suck."

I activated my eyes to sense my surroundings, however, I couldn't see anything.

He took out a knife like I expected, 'I seriously hoped for some kick-ass gun like AK47'. "You think this is all I have then..."

"Then what?"

"...Look around."

I felt fear surge across my body, behind the man was another, similar in built and having somewhat the same knife, I could guess that scenario was same behind me. "Management can't ever be a one-man army?"

I kneeled to the floor and focused on all my senses, well, even I have knives when needed; I reached for it in my socks... I kept on searching... I couldn't find it. "What the heck are you doing?"

I looked up with a terrified smile, 'Where the hell was my KNIFE!?' "Nothing, today's your bad day; you've got to my nerves."

He started to laugh. "I never thought a child would say this to me."

He's now figuratively getting on my nerves and soon, he'll do it literally and his death would reach actually...

"Shut up you fatso!" I shouted and leapt towards with my hands folded into a fist which is most likely to miss him.

And so, he dodged and turned around as I went ahead. "Stop insulting me."

"I'm not insulting you, I'm just describing you..."

I turned around and sat down on the floor. "I give up."

He smiled and started to walk towards me, 'so foolish.' "So you finally realized your situation, that's good, you won't have to get your limbs cut now."

I waited for the moment he came close enough for me to punch and soon he came near enough.

I started to laugh.

He stopped and looked at me with uncertainness. "What?!"

I stopped. "Fuck you."

I got up and leapt onto him, 'the fault isn't anybody's, he just by luck happened to be on their side, nobody is at fault here, especially in a world this cruel.'

As I neared towards him, seeing his uncertainty glow in his eyes, my hands reaching for his neck.

"BOOM"

Suddenly some force pushed me away from him and him away from me, however, I really didn't fall... or to be correct, I didn't land... I was floating in the air.

Suddenly, some black coloured sparks to appear in front of me, I floated towards it, now afraid of what all was happening, they only grew in size and started to circle around empty space, the man in black suit, whose feet were attached on the ground, started to walk away, backing off... filled with fear.

The sparks only kept on to increase, slowly reaching towards the middle of the sphere whose surface they covered, forming a black sphere of lightning.

The sphere only went on to grow in size with the hollow outer sphere disintegrating while the inner sphere started to send out shockwaves outside, hitting every possible conductor it could, each wave going as further as it could.

The lights of the bus started to flicker, wait... who the fuck has been driving the bloody bus all this time!

The surges came nearer and nearer, I grabbed the seats and then, pushed myself away, however, something was bothering me.

The sphere started to develop pores on its surface as it expanded, the pores acting as a failsafe... expanding and causing the sphere to disintegrate like the former one, revealing two symbols inside.

The surface of the disintegrating sphere turned into blue lightning bolts which would disappear into thin air and then appear out of it.

The lightning bolts would occasionally hit the seats or the roof of the bus, causing the areas of impact to vaporise, light rays entered from the holes in the roof the bus, illuminating the eerie darkness which had shrouded the entire, now I wonder why has no one even dialled the police, does no one even notice this shit?

The lightning bolts bolted away from each other, hitting all the men in black, looks like nobody here has got the high tech machinery to eliminate this 'alien' here.

There was darkness which surrounded the symbols, which now seemed to look like 2D eyes which stared at me.

The darkness started to circle what now seemed like a silhouette of a person, slowly matter started to grow from the eyes, growing into organic wires which started to spread around underneath, mapping the silhouette but not going out of it, making something which seemed like the darned nervous system I'd studied in school along with an awful looking brain, a neurosurgeon's 'paradise', slowly muscles started to grow, forming a 'muscular' body with maybe a height of approx six feet just three inches higher than me, and so skin grew till it reached the face, forming a very familiar face...

The figure was dressed in a very familiar attire as well – school uniform.

It was my previous school's, maybe more like the last school I'd attended or maybe died in...

"Heer."

His eyes glowed like that of the devil's, gleaming with hatred, anger, pain and... Madness.

His eyes were red, with a ring of black encircling his empty pupils, now coloured the same as the sclera , I knew what they were... the eyes of defiance, eyes which I'd read and learnt about with pure amazement and now they were in front of me, all red with a black circle but... these weren't red, they were someother red, another red... a red with a tint of madness... they were Madder Red.


End file.
